Hundreds Attend Funeral For Mass. Teacher

Hundreds of people are saying a final goodbye to the 24-year-old Massachusetts high school teacher who was allegedly killed by one of her students.

    St. Augustine Church in Colleen Ritzer's hometown of Andover was filled to capacity for her funeral Mass on Monday. The mourners included about 400 students who arrived in buses from Danvers High School, where Ritzer taught math.

    Her cousin, Gina McDaniel, said in a prepared eulogy that Ritzer made people feel loved, comforted and optimistic.

    McDaniel said Ritzer made many of her students enthusiastic about math, even those who did not like the subject at first.

    Police say Ritzer was killed in a school bathroom after dismissal Tuesday. Her body was found in woods behind the school.

    Fourteen-year-old Philip Chism has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. (Associated Press)